Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

JACKSON — Close games haven’t been a friend to the South Point Pointers this season.
Add Monday’s Division III sectional tournament game against the Meigs Marauders to the list after a 48-43 overtime loss.
The Pointers (8-15) have lost five games by single digits including two overtime games.
Meigs (13-10) outscored the Pointers 7-2 in overtime as Ty Bartrum hit 3-of-4 clutch free throws and Cooper Darst was 2-of-2 at the line.
The game featured two ties, four lead changes and Meigs had the biggest lead at 10 points.
The Marauders hit of nine-of-10 field goal attempts to lead 19-9 with a minute lead in the first quarter.
It was 19-13 at the end of the quarter lead as Weston Baer — who reached the 1,000-career point total this season — had seven points including a 3-pointer while Coulter Cleland and Darst had four points each.
Austin Webb hit a 3-pointer and scored seven points in the quarter for South Point.
Baer hit two more treys and scored 10 points as Meigs extended its lead to 32-23 at the half. Webb had five more points and Chance Gunther was 3-of-4 at the line.
The Pointers began their comeback in the third quarter a with a 7-0 run.
Marcus Malone scored with 2:01 left in the quarter that gave the Pointers their only lead of the game at 35-34. Webb got six points and Gunther hit a trifecta as the lead was sliced to a mere one point, 36-35.
Webb’s triple and a key basket by Nakyan Turner and a free throw by Roger Staggs enabled the Pointers to tie the game at 41 and force overtime.
But in overtime, Baer hit a shot at the 2:59 mark that put Meigs up 46-41 with 31 seconds left and sealed the outcome.
The Pointers could only manage a pair of free throws by Turner in the extra period.
Webb led all scorers with 21 points with Gunther adding eight. Malone had eight rebounds and Staggs five. Turner got three steals.
Baer scored 19 and Darst eight for Meigs. Wyatt Hoover had seven rebounds and Zach Bartrum six.
The Marauders play Wheelersburg in the sectional finals at 6 p.m. Friday.
South Point 13 10 12 6 2 = 43
Meigs 19 13 4 5 7 = 48
SOUTH POINT (8-15): Chance Gunther 1 SOUTH POINT (8-15): Chance Gunther 1 1 3-4 8, Nakyan Turner 1 0 3-4 5, Austin Webb 6 2 3-6 21, Brody Blackwell 1 0 0-2 2, Marcus Malone 1 0 0-0 2, Roger Staggs 1 0 1-2 5, Kyle Badgett 0 0 0-0 0, Mason Kazee 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 15-42 10-18 43. 3-pt goals: 3-16. Rebounds: 21 (Malone 8, Staggs 5). Assists: 5 (Gunther 2). Steals: 6 (Turner 3). Turnovers: 12. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: Gunther, Staggs.
MEIGS (13-10): Cole Betzing 1 0 0-0 2, Coulter Cleland 3 0 0- 6, Ty Bartrum 1 0 3-4 5, Zach Bartrum 0 0 4-5 4, Weston Baer 5 3 0-0 19, Nick Lilly 1 0 0-0 2, Cooper Darst 3 0 2-2 8, Wyatt Hoover 1 0 0-1 2, Bobby Musser 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18-46 9-12 48. 3-pt goals: 3-10. Rebounds: 11-O, 20-D = 31 (Hoover 7, Z. Bartrum 6). Turnovers: 16. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: Lilly.